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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : New toy for me (PCB cutting)
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Mixtel90 Guru  Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6794 |
I've been trying to find a satisfactory way to do PCB grooving myself. also cutting "extra" boards off a big one or putting several small boards onto one 100x100 to save money. Putting a board in the vice, scoring it and bending it until it breaks is fine, but it makes a right mess of the edges. I've just got a "Mini Table Saw" from AE and added a diamond blade:   It's tiny, as you can see, but it's a "proper" saw and seems to work well. I've tested it cutting a board and also grooving one and the results aren't bad. It's a bit fiddly setting the fence up - it's rather crude. Construction is very good. The main box is painted steel and the top plate is a hard aluminium grade, I think. The saw is mounted on a variable height bearing and a bracket off that holds the motor, which drives the saw via a double o-ring drive (some have a belt). The belt tension is adjustable. A 7-speed power supply is provided. Luckily it has a standard IEC inlet as the supplied mains lead isn't UK. There are several versions of this on AE, superficially the same but they differ appreciably sometimes. Most importantly, this version has a variable height blade and there is a box beneath the blade that collects most of the dust. Not all are laid out like this. I paid about £30 + tax for the saw (it's a very basic model) and about £6 + tax for a bag of 4 assorted blades (including a spare for the fine woodcutting one that comes with it). You can also get a TCT blade which might be better for cutting FR4. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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Quazee137 Guru Joined: 07/08/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 571 |
I've had mine for a while now. Sure beats files/scoring/hand saw.  the pic looks so small on my phone  saves so much time and hassle. some boards I use it to score so shipping in just an envelope then Alan just snaps them. I'm postage cheap  Quazee137 |
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stanleyella Guru Joined: 25/06/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2129 |
I get by with a lidl dremel and angle alloy for a straight line, but not often used. The saw looks tidy. |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6794 |
Cutting board is a lot easier than scoring it, Stan. Also FR4 fibreglass board is *very* hard and quickly blunts metalworking tools. That's why diamond and tungsten carbide are used.. You can get along without stuff like this, but not if you want to be able to do even short production runs on the cheap. I now have a few little board designs that I would like to try, but if I order them grooved so that they can be snapped off I'm charged for each design on the board, as well as for each board. With four or five designs the price adds up. This will let me put multiple designs on but only separated by silkscreen lines. That counts as one design. Then I can groove the boards myself. I'd like to have some sort of mini dust extractor for the saw. It's something I'm thinking about. Doesn't need a lot of suction and won't be handling big wood chips so I'm sure something can be done. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| matherp Guru Joined: 11/12/2012 Location: United KingdomPosts: 9118 |
I made my own Happy Christmas to all   Edited 2023-12-25 19:47 by matherp |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6794 |
Something I'd seriously considered. Eventually I decided that I could afford £30. :) That's very nice. How did you get the fence distance rulers on? Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| stanleyella Guru Joined: 25/06/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2129 |
BTW. fibreglass particles inhaled are bad 4U! Take care. |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6794 |
This is why I want a little dust collector. I might make one out of a JLCPCB box with a computer case fan and a piece of filter material mounted on top to create a bit of vacuum. A bit of pipe through a hole in the side to couple it to the saw. Unfortunately I need to sort out some sort of coupling and some pipe first as this saw didn't come with a pipe. You can get too much dust extract vacuum, pulling the workpiece down onto the saw bed, making it difficult to slide. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| stanleyella Guru Joined: 25/06/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2129 |
cheap 12V car vacuum cleaner maybe? A mask at least. The particles get in your skin. £30 your saw looks tidy. |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6794 |
I considered a car vac, or some sort of mini vac, but not sure about them. Most have very little dust storage. Some have too much suction (like most vacs). The only inlet for the air is round the blade and round the U-shaped slot for the saw shaft. The rest of the slots in the box are only allowing air und the motor. The motor has air in at the brush end and out round the brushes, which tends to keep it clear of dust. You still need some sort of pipe & coupling. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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Justplayin Guru Joined: 31/01/2014 Location: United StatesPosts: 326 |
How about a second hand vacuum cleaner. Cheap and has a hose and disposable filters. I am not a Mad Scientist... It makes me happy inventing new ways to take over the world!! |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6794 |
I've considered that too. :) I think there might be too much suction. The dust off the saw is very fine and will easily be sucked away. It just seems a bit silly to run up a relatively big and noisy motor to do it. I have a small workshop wac that would be fine. I was just looking for a smaller, quieter solution. I got a new mattress several years ago and the corners were protected by some white stuff that looks a lot like filter material. It certainly allows air through it. I might give that a try, possibly with some sort of HEPA layer too. (Two stacked boxes with the fan in the top and filters between them?). There won't be a huge airflow so it's not likely that a lot of dust will be pulled up through the filter and fan. I only need enough to pull the dust out of the saw and into the box. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| stanleyella Guru Joined: 25/06/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2129 |
Charge a plate to attract the dust.. ioniser idea ? |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6794 |
I've dug out a suitable box, a large mains-powered case fan, the "filter" stuff I mentioned and a length of dishwasher drain hose that's almost perfect. The fan looks like it will provide plenty of suction (although I could swap it for a PWM controlled one). Now I need a way to couple the hose onto the saw. That's much more difficult as it first appears as there's no room inside the box for anything to project inside and the dust box isn't wide enough for any sort of locking ring anyway. It will have to be some sort of flanged coupling bolted to the outside. These appear to be pretty difficult to find. I need to raid the shed to see if I have anything I could make one from. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| pwillard Senior Member  Joined: 07/06/2022 Location: United StatesPosts: 292 |
I've been using one from the local "Harbor Freight" store with a diamond blade for about a year now. Love it. Cost: $30.00  Edited 2023-12-27 04:59 by pwillard |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6794 |
I get envious of those who can get "Harbor Freight" stuff. Some of it looks really good value for money. Unfortunately I'm on the wrong side of The Big Pond and shipping charges make it uneconomical. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| Solar Mike Guru Joined: 08/02/2015 Location: New ZealandPosts: 1138 |
For those small boards, multiples fitting on a 100x100 pcb, I get the pcb made using 1.2mm material instead of normal 1.6mm and cut them up with 14 inch heavy duty tin snips, no problem at all and no dust etc. 14 Inch Tin snips |
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phil99 Guru Joined: 11/02/2018 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2135 |
A simple way to make one. Hose glued in a hole hole-sawed through a small square of timber, 12 to 20 mm thick, screw holes in corners. Not got the right size hole-saw? Use next size up and fill the gap with 5 min. epoxy mixed with sawdust. Messy but easier than enlarging an under size hole. No sawdust? Look under the workbench. |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 6794 |
Those are proper beasts. :) I have a very old tool called a Goscut that cuts PCB, aluminium etc. It takes more hand power than I'm happy with now and I can never replace a broken blade as the company hasn't existed for many years. It's a bit like a hand-powered nibbler, only cutting from the bottom so you can see the cutting line on top. Once again no dust but the edge is rough if you want to use reasonable cutting pressure. It shears a strip out of the material (which stays flat). ================== Solved how to attach the pipe to the saw - a capacitor clip. :) Edited 2023-12-27 07:43 by Mixtel90 Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| stanleyella Guru Joined: 25/06/2022 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2129 |
call that a saw, this is a saw... sorry, crocodile dundee joke.  and this is the supposed killer chain saw but is actually very practical in the garden two 21v li-ion batteries and charger £20  |
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